Following
a working session of the Ocracoke Occupancy Tax Board meeting Wednesday
about Hyde County’s request for operating money for a village tram in
conjunction with passenger ferry service in 2018, county officials will
schedule some community meetings in March about this proposal.

Hyde
County is seeking $146,000 to pay for first-year operations for three
23-passenger trams proposed to help shuttle visitors and locals around
the village, in addition to what’s offered through private enterprise.

The
Occupancy Tax Board will consider Hyde’s request at their April 4
meeting along with all of the other grant proposals from island
nonprofits.

Attendance
this working session Wednesday, were Tom Pahl, Ocracoke’s county
commissioner, Kris Noble, assistant county manager, and Beverly Paul,
director of Hyde County Transit, a nonprofit on the mainland that has
been identified by the county to manage the proposed tram system. Bill
Rich, Hyde County manager, attended by speakerphone.

Several members of the community attended, but no comments or questions were allowed.

During this round-table session, board members noted that many in the community need more information about the whole project.

Bob Chestnut, board chair, said the group had gotten a lot of comments since the prior meeting and it wasn’t all negative.

“There’s
a strong feeling that there’s not enough planning,” he said, for stops,
shelters and more. There’s also a real fear that this proposal would
take away from the needs of island nonprofits and resistance to
enacting another 2 percent onto the current Occupancy tax of 3 percent
to fund a tram system down the road.

A third theme was that the passenger ferry won’t work, he said.

“Fail safes for capacity and funding all have to be addressed,” he said.

The Ferry Division wants the passenger ferry to work as does the community, Pahl said.

“The
ground transportation plan is really important and it’s critical
(visitors) have lots of options. (The Ferry Division) care that we have
a plan and they’re really flexible as to what that is.”

Several
board members noted that to make this a successful venture, it needs
community buy-in. “As much as you can get it,” said Stephanie O’Neal.
“If you have public meetings you need the right people in place to
answer questions. There weren’t enough answers.”

As
for the capacity of a tram system, Pahl said the project is not
interested in providing all the transportation needs of passenger ferry
riders.

“The primary transportation has got to be private,” he said. “It’s got to be a partnership.”

What
if passenger ferry riders miss their return trips for whatever reason?
Paul said Hyde Transit has a van on the island it can press into
service.

Chestnut
suggested that there may be too many stops along the proposed route and
that maybe a less expensive alternative was to simply have trams going
up and down Irvin Garrish Highway.

But Paul said business owners off of the main drag wanted equal access.

Moreover,
because this tram would be funded with public money, it would be
subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act and would have to be a
“deviated fixed route” in order to be within a quarter mile of anyone
with a disability who wanted to ride it.

Chestnut mentioned islanders’ concerns for more public restrooms.

Pahl
said that it was the planning group’s intent to revise the plan after
year one. In year two, with an additional 2 percent of occupancy tax
would generate more revenue so that two to three years down the road
acquire land to build restrooms.

Hyde
County had originally sought $216,000 be granted from Occupancy Tax
funds for the first year, but after a meeting Feb. 9 with the OT board,
attended by close to 80 islanders, some of whom suggested the county
contribute, the county proposed to find $70,000 in its coffers toward
in and lowered its request.

The
passenger ferry idea came about from all the problems stemming from the
long route, Pahl said, particularly cars waiting in line at Hatteras
and 10 percent of those leaving the lines.

A
longer route of about one hour was officially sanctioned in 2014 after
hurricanes Irene (2011) and Sandy (2012) caused so much shoaling in the
Hatteras Inlet to make it unnavigable.

Former
Ferry Division Director Ed Goodwin floated the passenger ferry idea
that year as an alternative for visitors wanting to come to Ocracoke.

The cost of building a passenger ferry is half the cost of a vehicle ferry, Ferry Division officials have said at meetings.

“There’s
no magic solution to the problem we’re dealing with,” said Jed Dixon,
acting Ferry Division director, at an island meeting Feb. 13 following
the departure Jan. 31 of Ed Goodwin. “I understand it’s a change, but
if we’re running more boats over here it’s more than what we have now.”

He stressed that he wants Ocracoke’s buy-in.

“I’m
not happy with the status quo, but we need your participation and
support,” he said. “I’m all in favor of more boats to Ocracoke. You
should get behind (the passenger ferry) and get excited about it.”

Dave
Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, said in
an email that the Seashore is working on accommodate certain aspects of
the passenger ferry project that will occur on lands within the
national park.

Specifically, they are working on the following:

1) The location of enhanced parking for passenger ferry vehicles on Hatteras Island, 2) A location for a shade/rain shelter for passenger ferry patrons at the Silver Lake/visitor center area, 3) A possible restroom capacity enhancement at Silver Lake or the visitor center area, and4) A minor modification to the Silver Lake boat docks to accommodate passenger ferry docking and safe maneuverability

“We plan to visit with the Ocracoke community over the next month to receive public input on these small projects,” Hallac said.